EGX is back and this year it partnered with Comic-Con (MCM) for an even bigger event… at least on paper. In reality, I was fairly underwhelmed with this year’s show as despite there being more attendees, the actual space for games was at an all-time low. With that said, there were some stand-out titles I got to play, both well-known and brand new to me, and over these two previews I will be sharing my thoughts on the games I tried out.
In this second preview block, I will be covering all of the other games I played from big publishers like Sony and Bandai Namco, to smaller indie games that caught my interest. Let’s not waste any time and jump right on into it.
LEGO Horizon Adventures
- Platforms: Playstation 5, Nintendo Switch, Steam
- Release Date: November 14, 2024
- Steam link: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2428810/LEGO_Horizon_Adventures/
Join machine hunter Aloy as she leads a colourful crew of heroes on a quest to save the world and learn the secrets of her past. Dive into boundless adventure, customize to your heart’s content, and take on action-packed battles solo or with friends.
Unfortunately, the hosts gave me practically no time to play this game – I basically just got through the tutorial and that’s it. Not great for a preview I must say. But from what little I did play it has all the charm and polish of a LEGO title, and all the gameplay mechanics you would expect to see (except there are only two playable characters this time).
The game appears to be a reimagining of Horizon Zero Dawn, at least based on my memory of that game, just with a more quirky and LEGO-like approach to the dialogue. I was impressed by how much of the Horizon gameplay and game design elements were translated into LEGO form here (I laughed a little when I saw that yellow lego bricks were being used to show where the player could grab ledges) however my only form of attacking was the bow and arrow. I remember the original game having more options, including close-combat gameplay, but none of that is here (at least in the demo).
I think it will be a good game and it’s a great sign for future LEGO collabs with video game IP. Horizon Zero Dawn is still the better game but I doubt anyone expected it’s LEGO version to top it.
SONOKUNI
- Platforms: Steam
- Release Date: 2025
- Steam link: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2054380/SONOKUNI/
Battle your way through a biopunk and Japanese mythology-inspired landscape filled with over-the-top, hip hop-infused 2D action. A single hit means death, but use your time-bending skills to take down your oppressors and you might yet save your dying nation.
At a first glance you would assume SONOKUNI is a Hotline Miami clone and that’s fair, it is very similar. However, there’s a bit more going on with SONOKUNI that makes it less of an arcade-like experience and more of a puzzle game.
The player has three abilities at their disposal: attacking, blocking and slowing down time. The latter is on a timer and exists mainly to give players breathing room to plan their next attack, although some enemies will react to the time freeze and punish the player for relying on it too much. There are also some enemies whose attacks need to be parried, and you can tell by the colour of their attacks who they are.
With all these different colour-coded enemies and attacks it can appear quite overwhelming and that’s where the puzzle element comes in. There’s always a very distinct order that players should tackle each room in order to avoid getting hit, as it’s a 1-hit KO. So running in blindly will always fail. Learn the enemy types, plan out your approach and make sure you get the timing of parry’s and time freezes right in order to survive.
All this while incredibly trippy visuals fill the screen and music by Japanese hip-hop band Dosa Yasu Club blasts over the entire game. Apparently they’re actually developing the game which honestly explains a lot when it comes to the tone and gameplay presentation. I had a lot of fun with this one, and I feel confident saying it was my surprise hit from the show. Keep an eye out for this one in the future
Cabernet
- Platforms: Steam
- Release Date: 2025
- Steam link: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2401410/Cabernet/
Cabernet is a 2D narrative RPG set in a 19th century Eastern European inspired world, with a modern twist. Guide Liza, a young vampire in her new unlife among the unsuspecting townsfolk. Will you retain your humanity or descend further into the horror you have become?
At a glance, I thought that Cabernet was going to be some kind of mystery adventure game and I’m not entirely off, but its actually a lot more involved than you might expect. The game is a non-combat RPG where you play as a newly formed vampire girl and have to learn about your new life and society, figure out how and why you became a vampire and make important choices that will affect the story.
The game as a pretty neat RPG system for your skills. You have four stats that you can build up: Art, Literacy, Science and History and your skills in this unlock new dialogue options and extra hints that can give you an edge in the future. For example, I put most of my stats into history and politics and that allowed me to convince a character earlier in the game to give me the down-lo on all the other characters so that I was prepared when I confronted them Given the game tracks relationships as well and these can also unlock more clues down the line, it was a great advantage in my investiagtion.
The game also comes with a morality system where you can choose to make human-like choices or fall into the nihilistic vampire camp. I went for the latter cause I decided I wanted to play as a manipulative femme fatale vampire that only looks out for herself and I had a lot of fun doing it.
It’s not all dialogue though as you have vampiric abilities at your disposal. In the demo, the two at my disposal were the ability to turn into a bat and fly around, and my true vampire form where I can coerce humans into doing my bidding and even drink their blood if I needed, which you will need as you have a blood metre that you’ll want to refill to keep your sanity going.
Just as it sounds, there’s a lot going on with the gameplay mechanics of Cabernet and it honestly got me quite invested in the game. On top of all this you have some great 2D art and a fully voiced cast that all adds to the charm of the game. Another great one to keep an eye out if you’re a fan of mystery RPGs like Disco Elysium.
Little Nightmares III
- Platforms: Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and Steam
- Release Date: 2025
- Steam link: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1392860/Little_Nightmares_III/
Embark on a new adventure in the unique world of Little Nightmares. In Little Nightmares III, you follow the journey of Low & Alone, as they search for a path that could lead them out of the Nowhere. Face your childhood fears together with a friend in online co-op, or in solo with an AI companion.
I really enjoyed Little Nightmares but I never played the sequel so I have a bit of a gameplay gap in my knowledge here. But from my time with Little Nightmares III, it feels very similar to the first game but with two characters this time instead of one, and both provide unique abilities that the player will need to progress, either online with a friend or with the help of a CPU.
In terms of vibe, it seems we’ve hit the Uncharted 3 of this series (by which I mean we’ve somehow ended up in the desert now). However the little part is really played up this time as we seem to be up against literal giants this time, at least from the big monster of the demo. If you were a fan of the series then this feels like more of the same, and given vibes and puzzles are the primary focus of these games rather than deeper gameplay mechanics I suppose that isn’t a bad thing.
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